Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

headkase · 2012-10-08 04:18:34

lspci:

02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 03)

I was using r8169, which I assume is built-in into the kernel as I did nothing to specify to use it, but then I learned of r8168. r8169 works fine for myself, even with the above lspci information. I've since installed r8168 and blacklisted r8169 and my network access still works fine. It perhaps feels a little snappier accessing web-pages but that may be placebo.

I'm asking "trouble-free" for kernel updates. I see that the current non-testing r8168 is kernel >=3.5 and <3.6. There is a new r8168 in testing that is kernel >=3.6 and <3.7. So I would hope that when the imminent kernel 3.6 is released that the new r8168 is released at the exact same time - so they would update together.

Specifically, should I be installing dkms or something like that to manage this r8168 driver package or will my next kernel-update "pacman -Syu" in theory be trouble free?

There are no wiki pages for either r8168 or r8169 to reference.

WonderWoofy · 2012-10-08 04:27:53

Well, my same reatek device would not work very well at all with r8169, so I have to use r8168

headkase · 2012-10-08 04:29:27

WonderWoofy,

When there is a major kernel update - like 3.6 which is "any time now" are you ever left with a broken network? Because you installed a new kernel, installed the new r8168 while still booted in your older kernel, and then rebooted into the newer kernel?

Edit And of course since 3.6 is "real soon now" then I guess I'll find out regardless..

Last edited by headkase (2012-10-08 04:30:06)

WonderWoofy · 2012-10-08 04:31:59

Well, I use wireless mainly. So I really only use it on occasion. But with every kernel release there is a new r8168 package as well. So until you reboot, your system will keep using the same kernel and module. When you reboot, as long as both were updated, it should just start using the new kernel because it is now using a new module directory to pull from.

Edit: But I think since the r8168 module is in the official repos, it means that there are many others using it, and it goes through testing.

Last edited by WonderWoofy (2012-10-08 04:33:49)

headkase · 2012-10-08 04:36:17

Ok, thank you. I'll wait for kernel 3.6, see what happens and then update a post in this thread for future googlers.

WonderWoofy · 2012-10-08 04:40:52

How was your device performing with the r8169 module? When I first got my machine and tried to install Arch, I had to cancel downlaoding the packages after over an hour. After looking around on the internets, I found I needed the r8169 module and it took the ten minutes it is supposed to take with base and base-devel

headkase · 2012-10-08 04:45:32

Every thing works fine on my system with the r8169 module even though I have r8168 hardware. And r8168 - using right now - works fine too. I'd prefer Realtek's module if it doesn't turn out to be a pain however.

Edit: r8168 is Realtek's module.

Last edited by headkase (2012-10-08 04:47:07)

WonderWoofy · 2012-10-08 04:52:33

Wow, that is interesting that I had such a terrible time with r8169 when you are saying it works fine.

I was really curious if I had exactly the same card as you, so I double checked. Apparently I have revision 7.

0c:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 07)

headkase · 2012-10-08 05:00:31

If I understand correctly, since I didn't do anything to enable it, r8169 is a kernel built-in driver. You have a later hardware revision of the 8168 chipset than myself. It is possible that those later changes aren't well supported in r8169 yet?

Edit: And my reading comprehension would seem to make that obvious.

Last edited by headkase (2012-10-08 05:01:49)

WonderWoofy · 2012-10-08 05:04:34

Yeah, I am thinking that possible revision changes are what makes my card suck so much with the r8169 module.

And yes, it is the module foudn in the kernel. I think that if there is no noticeable difference, the built-in might be the better way to go just out of simplicity. The old "If it ain't broke..." (of course, for me that ends in "tweak it until it is.")

headkase · 2012-10-08 05:06:53

Yup, I'm going to wait for kernel 3.6. If it "just works" then I'll stick with r8168 and if it doesn't then I'll revert to r8169. And I'm a serial tweaker - Linux is my full-time hobby..

WonderWoofy · 2012-10-08 05:15:30

Yeah, I guess it is nice to know there is a backup avaiable.

headkase · 2012-10-08 05:17:07

For myself yes. And for yourself: 3.6 just might bring a better r8169. If it doesn't there is always 3.7. It will happen eventually.

outrobruno · 2014-03-06 16:24:38

I have this:

07:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 10)
	Subsystem: Dell Device 0616
	Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 61
	I/O ports at 4000 [size=256]
	Memory at f1d04000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
	Memory at f1d00000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
	Capabilities: <access denied>
	Kernel driver in use: r8169
	Kernel modules: r8169, r8168

And I had to blacklist the r8169 and install r8168 from aur to get it working.

jasonwryan · 2014-03-06 17:23:12

Please don't necrobump old threads: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … Bumping.27

Closing

Arch Linux

#1 2012-10-08 04:18:34

Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#2 2012-10-08 04:27:53

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#3 2012-10-08 04:29:27

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#4 2012-10-08 04:31:59

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#5 2012-10-08 04:36:17

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#6 2012-10-08 04:40:52

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#7 2012-10-08 04:45:32

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#8 2012-10-08 04:52:33

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#9 2012-10-08 05:00:31

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#10 2012-10-08 05:04:34

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#11 2012-10-08 05:06:53

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#12 2012-10-08 05:15:30

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#13 2012-10-08 05:17:07

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#14 2014-03-06 16:24:38

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

#15 2014-03-06 17:23:12

Re: Which is a more trouble-free Realtek ethernet driver: r8168 or r8169.

Board footer